Eri Kisaki finally breathed a sigh of relief as she looked at the vermilion archway of the Oedo Antique Market ahead.
The ambiguous atmosphere throughout the journey had pushed her to her limit.
If it continued any longer, she feared she would completely lose her composure.
She found an empty spot to park, took a deep breath, picked up her shoulder bag, and walked shoulder-to-shoulder with Kamishiro Yu into the bustling antique market.
Amidst the crowd, her crimson dress was particularly striking, yet it also seemed somewhat out of place with the surrounding ancient atmosphere.
Suddenly, a burly woman, weighing nearly two hundred jin, bumped into Eri Kisaki from the side.
Eri Kisaki, with her light build, was sent tumbling like a light piece of cotton directly into Kamishiro Yu's arms after the collision.
"Are you alright?"
Kamishiro Yu was quick-eyed and quick-handed, supporting her waist with one hand and steadily holding her up.
Eri Kisaki's cheek pressed against his shoulder, her chest rising and falling slightly, and her fair neck instantly flushed red.
She nodded lightly, a hint of sweetness welling up in her heart:
"Why are there so many surprises today? But it feels... quite nice."
The woman realized she had bumped into someone.
She quickly turned around and apologized profusely, her face full of remorse.
Seeing her sincere attitude, and also thinking about the close contact she had with Kamishiro Yu because of it, Eri Kisaki smiled slightly and waved her hand, indicating it was fine.
Only then did the woman carefully examine Eri Kisaki and Kamishiro Yu, and a smile suddenly appeared on her face:
"You two really look like a perfect match."
"If only I had a handsome husband like yours~"
Her tone carried a hint of envy and nostalgia.
Hearing this, Eri Kisaki's ears immediately burned crimson.
Yu-kun and I are a couple? Do we really look that well-matched?
Eri Kisaki waved her hands repeatedly, trying to explain:
"No, we're not..."
But the woman gave an "I understand" expression and left with a smile.
After saying goodbye to the woman, their distance seemed to have grown even closer.
Eri Kisaki could feel Kamishiro Yu's breath gently brushing her ear, and her heartbeat involuntarily quickened.
"Come closer, so you don't get bumped again later!"
Kamishiro Yu whispered, his large hand directly wrapping around Eri Kisaki's waist.
Eri Kisaki leaned in, almost feeling the warmth of his chest.
She looked up slightly, trying to focus her attention on the antique market in front of her.
But she always felt a tingling sensation all over her body, and her body temperature was rapidly rising.
Kamishiro Yu finally turned his attention to the market at this point.
It could be said that as soon as he entered, his attention had also been entirely on Eri Kisaki.
It felt as if fate was creating opportunities for him today.
His gaze swept over the surrounding stalls.
The Oedo Antique Market was bustling, with many small stalls resembling temporary setups.
Many of the stalls had wooden shelves that looked very antique.
Teapots, clocks, backpacks, books... each item carried the marks of time.
It could be said that if an inexperienced customer came in, they would basically be overwhelmed by choices.
However, most people who came here were simply to enjoy the lively environment and cultural atmosphere.
There were indeed some who harbored hopes of finding a bargain, but everyone's expectations were relatively low.
Just like Eri Kisaki, her main goal was more focused on enjoying the atmosphere of shopping together with Kamishiro Yu.
From time to time, there would also be some physical contact due to various situations.
At one stall, Eri Kisaki's fingertips gently caressed a smooth leather backpack.
She seemed quite satisfied with the style.
She was quite pleased with the style, but as soon as the vendor quoted a price, she immediately abandoned the idea of buying it.
The price was ridiculously high, almost enough to buy a brand new bag.
Seeing this, Kamishiro Yu couldn't help but curl his lips into a smile.
He knew that most vendors here were skilled at "sizing up their customers."
Especially for high-quality women like Eri Kisaki, the man accompanying them would often be treated as a "sucker."
Provoked, and perhaps due to male chauvinism or fear of losing face, he might very well pay to win the beauty's favor.
Although he wasn't short on money now, being a sucker was out of the question.
Just as he was thinking this, a large stall in the distance was bustling, and a harsh, piercing backup sound was so sharp that it could be heard from several meters away.
"One hundred thousand US dollars, no cheaper!"
"This was used by your Queen Elizabeth back in the day!"
"Not a single cent cheaper!"
After hearing this sound, Eri Kisaki's attention was immediately diverted.
It is human nature to enjoy a spectacle, and even a senior lawyer was full of curiosity at this moment.
She turned her head, her charming large eyes full of curiosity as she looked at Kamishiro Yu.
Her gaze was filled with curiosity.
Kamishiro Yu smiled helplessly, took her hand, and led her through the crowd.
He protected Eri Kisaki the whole way, fighting through the crowd to reach the bustling stall.
Eri Kisaki looked at the passing crowd around them and felt a deep sense of happiness from the security she felt by Kamishiro Yu's side.
This is what a date feels like!
0 for fresh flowers --- Kamishiro Yu held Eri Kisaki's small hand, his gaze falling on the two people at the stall.
In front of the stall, a white foreigner was fiercely haggling with the vendor.
The white foreigner was carrying a black backpack, clearly a tourist.
He looked to be about the same age as Kamishiro Yu.
He was looking at the blue-and-white porcelain jar in his hand, clearly having taken a liking to it.
However, he wasn't foolish either, and immediately countered with a price:
"One thousand US dollars, and I'll take it!"
The vendor opposite, with a pointed nose and monkey-like cheeks, heard the foreigner's drastic price cut.
His face immediately changed dramatically!
He shouted, incredulously refuting in a sharp voice:
"One thousand US dollars? I'll take as many as you have!"
Eri Kisaki watched the back-and-forth between the two and only then realized that this was how things were done here... Ultimately, the white foreigner happily secured the blue-and-white porcelain jar for 2000 US dollars, while the stall owner looked reluctant and pained.
Eri Kisaki whispered to Kamishiro Yu, "That price is way too inflated."
She calculated and felt that the markup here was just too high.
It was directly 2% of the price!
If she had bought that bag earlier, she wondered how much more she would have lost.
Kamishiro Yu looked at Eri Kisaki's expression and couldn't help but smile, saying:
"Even if you cut that price by 90%, this vendor would still make a profit."
Eri Kisaki was stunned when she heard that.
She hadn't expected it to be so exaggerated; her understanding of this field was still far from enough.
Kamishiro Yu then explained:
"That blue-and-white porcelain jar is clearly a modern replica."
"The cost wouldn't be much."
"The vendor, however, his acting skills should be much better than his merchandise."
Eri Kisaki's eyes were opened; she hadn't expected selling antiques also required acting skills.
She felt that it would be best to just buy some small, pleasant items this trip and avoid anything expensive.
Kamishiro Yu was naturally used to such things; the buyer is never as shrewd as the seller.
Some things, he could see through even without his Eye of Delusion Breaking.
He also looked over the items at this stall; there were quite a lot of them.
But basically, they were all rip-offs, with only a small portion being fairly priced.
He was planning to take Eri Kisaki to other stalls to buy some small, exquisite items and then leave.
Just as he was about to turn and leave, his gaze was suddenly drawn to a pottery jar in the shadow of a shelf.
PS: The image is of Eri Kisaki